That's the Way Life Goes
by Egyptian Princess of 1290 bc
Summary: ONESHOT! the loss of a child is a painful thing and that's something the team learns when someone closes to them disappears. B&B BETTER THAN IT SOUNDS PLS R&R!


_**That's the way life goes. **_

**I don't own Bones. I don't own Megra's saying, I got that from the Disney Movie Hercules. **

It had been quite some time since she had gone missing; a young child became another nameless face for the world to find. She was young, four years old, she was scared and frightened. Her mother had never wanted children, yet nevertheless kept her because her heart had grown for her child, because she had come to love her. The child's father, loving and caring as could be. Both parents happily married and had a small family.

The news of the child's disappearance had sent a stab through the mother's heart, almost killing her, her child was gone, taken; and nobody knew where she was. The father was doing all he could to find his little girl while trying to comfort the mother that all would be well in the end, however, they both knew the odds of her returning were slim. They had dealt with many cases before with parents hoping the same thing, only to receive news their child had died.

"Hey Bones, we got us a body." Booth said walking into Tempe's office and forced a smile.

"Thanks, I'll be there in a second." She mumbled. When she thought Booth had gone she pulled out a small photo to show a small little girl smiling brightly at the camera, it had been taken on her fourth birthday three months prior to the kidnapping. Now it served only as the memory to her parents that she would never see her fifth birthday in the next five months.

"We'll find her, I promise." Booth whispered in her ear, catching her by surprise. She turned to face him but found herself crying into his shoulder.

"I miss her." she mumbled into his ear wanting anything to have her back.

"I know, baby and so do I." Booth said hugging her close, then pulled apart from her as she headed towards the new body. "But we're talking about Megra here. She's strong and she'll be home soon."

They had been happily married almost five and a half years, and when their daughter had gone missing four months ago something about their happiness had died. They both knew nothing would be the same until they found their daughter, dead or alive.

"Female," Tempe said into her recorder, every new case was a stab knowing her little girl could be next, the children cases had been the worst. "Ages from four to five. Caucasian." There was a small pause before she turned the recorder off and spoke again, this time to one of her friends. "Angela can you get me a face on this little girl?"

"Sure, sweetie I'll get on it right away." Angela spoke forcing a smile.

The lab had been quieter lately. The laughter and cries of a happy or injured child were not there to fill in the silence. When she had gone missing part of everybody else did too. Her god mother, Angela, never seemed happy, or if she did one could tell it was forced. Her god father, Jack had become less energetic and never really found a reason to smile. Her best friend, Zach had spoken less with every passing day. The lab had thrown itself into helping solve the case of the missing child. She was a friend and child to everyone and only justice for her could make it right.

Temperance found her way over to Booth and asked quietly if they could go home. They went to Cam and asked for the rest of the day off, having sympathy for the grieving family she allowed it and promised to call if anything were to happen.

It had been a miserable four months since child had went missing and during the four months Temperance had done nothing, but blame herself. She had been out in the park with her daughter, she had begged her mother for days to take a day from work and take her to see the plants and after Booth begged Tempe to do so she had nothing to do but cave in. Megra's face had grown bright after hearing her mother had taken the day off from work to take her and the second they had arrived she had gone off and started towards. Tempe had looked away for a brief moment, she had lost sight of her for a second, only to look back up and find her missing. After looking for Megra desperately, Tempe had gone through one of the many emotions every mother goes through when confronted by a mother who lost their child. Panic.

She had called up Booth in a panic and started crying over the phone, she had lost their daughter and knew that if anything had happened to her she would be held responsible. Booth had rushed from work to find his wife crying on the park bench desperately needing help. After hours of searching they had filed a missing persons report and prayed she would come home soon, but nothing new had progressed over the four months.

"We will find her." Booth had assured later that night as Tempe sat in her daughter's room looking around at the mess that had never seemed to be picked up. Booth sat by her side and whispered the four words again; lately it seemed to be the only words he could really say.

"I know." Tempe mumbled pulling out a small book from beneath the bed. Their daughter had kept it there for so long, wanting to look over the memories.

Opening the book, Tempe found herself looking over the photos that had been taken when her daughter was just a baby, and with every passing page tears began to form. It was odd, she had never wanted to be a mother, never knew how to be one, but the day her daughter was born she had changed and wanted to do all she could to protect the new life, but she had failed.

"Megra." The name slipped from her lips as her fingers brushed over the face of the child with blue eyes and auburn hair. She was a spitting image of her mother, but had the heart of her father. Slowly Tempe had drifted to sleep in the arms of her husband.

"Mommy?" a small innocent voice called.

"What Meg?" Tempe would ask.

"When is daddy coming home?"

"I'm not sure, why don't you call him?"

"Because mommy, I'm playing with Parker in my room." She had referred to her half brother who would occasionally spend the night with his second family; his room was right across the hall from Megra's.

"Mommy?" the voice called again, only it drowned out the rain and thunder from the window outside.

"What?" she asked opening her eyes to see her child wrapped in a blanket scared.

"I can't sleep, I'm scared, can I sleep with you and daddy?" she asked her face showing her fear.

"sure." Tempe said moving to make room for her child.

The dreams had haunted her sleep every night.

The bright early sun peaked into the window and woke Temperance up, as she looked around she found herself in her daughter's room, her husband lying on the floor next to her sleeping soundly. Laughter from down stairs sent her shooting up and running towards the sound, hoping it was her daughter and that the past couple of months had been a dream, but as she reached the kitchen the laughter had stopped and she was left alone in the silence wondering if she had truly lost her mind.

Looking to the kitchen table she got lost in what had taken place a summer before, Meg had wanted to dance to a song, so her father had picked her up, placed her on top of the table and moved her hands along with the music, getting the child to scream in excitement and laugh as if she were never going to laugh again. The memories had come often especially now that all hopes and dreams of her daughter coming home had faded; something deep down told her it was too late to save her.

The distant ringing of a phone pulled her out of her thoughts as she rushed to it and picked it up. As the phone was in her hands she had once remembered Meg picking the phone up.

"Dr. Brennan-Booth's Phone." There had been a silence before she spoke again. "My name is Megra, but my friends call me Meg, or at least they would if I had any friends." She had heard the line from one of her movies about a Greek god and had come to use the saying almost everyday. The caller had been none other than her father checking up on his family as he had done everyday.

"Booth." Tempe said into the phone as she placed it to her ear. Thought she had used her last name for the past five years it still felt weird every time she answered her phone.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." The voice was filled with tears and tore her heart out.

"Angela?"

"I'm so sorry sweetie." She cried again.

"About what?" tears now filed her eyes as well, deep down she knew what had happened.

"Meet me at the lab A.S.A.P." she said then hung up.

"SEELEY!" Tempe yelled upstairs then hurried and got changed; soon they were both in the car and heading towards the lab.

"I tried everything I could to prove to myself I was wrong, but in the end they all pointed to the same thing." Angela explained using the Angelator to show her findings.

On the screen the face of a smiling little girl appeared, her blue eyes sparkled; her auburn hair was pulled back in pig tails, like she had had it so many times before. Staring at the picture tore Tempe's heart out and served a blow to the stomach for Booth. The little girl's body that lay on their examination table was that of their beloved Megra.

"No, please." Tempe begged turning to burry her face in Booth's arm to let everything she had held back escape. He gently stroked her back and tried the best to soothe her in her time of need, but found it hard and soon broke down as well holding his wife close.

"How did it happen?" Booth asked later that day as tears and pain filled his face.

"We want to know everything, every last detail. I want to know her last few moments on this world." Tempe said. She wanted to know the truth; she wanted the man thrown in jail for life, but most of all she wanted her little girl back.

"She was raped, beaten and shot in the head. She's been dead for the past two months. " Zach offered looking over the body. Tempe looked away, but forced herself to look back as Booth's grip on his wife's shoulders tightened.

"I've matched DNA with the body and the two of you, this is definitely Megra." Hodgins spoke up, pain filling his voice.

"No matter the history we have with this child, the best way to stay distant is to not call her by her name." Tempe forced herself to say. She knew deep down her child needed to be acknowledged, but every time the name was said she felt her heart rip to shreds. Everybody nodded and continued on calling her child 'the victim'.

Later that night Tempe had finally come out of her office and approached the skeleton. Unknowingly she brushed her hand under the skull of the small body and began to remember doing so many nights before when there was skin, hair, cells and a living soul still occupying the body. She used to tuck Meg into bed with a gentle massage of the scalp, then sing to her, once positive the child was asleep she would give her a kiss good night tell her she loved her and be off to bed herself.

A tear fell from her face and onto the table, so much pain ripped through her soul as reality hit her. Her child was dead, gone; no longer of the living world. There would be no more nights of pointless arguments over the time of bed; there would be no more quiet nights where Meg would wake up because she couldn't sleep. On those night's Tempe would crawl out of bed, give her child some hot chocolate, then lay on the couch with her little girl, massaging her scalp until both had fallen asleep.

As she remembered all the good times that had come across her in life she knew that deep down, she had always wanted a child, someone to love, someone to care for. But she had just been afraid something like this would happen and her child would hate her.

After a long days work, Booth picked his wife up from the lab and drove home, the drive was quiet, but comfortable as could be. Both could hear the complaints of their child about how annoying it was that they could be quiet and not say a word to the other. They were 'Boring' as she had put it one day.

Finally after two weeks of pain and tears a woman claiming to be the wife of Megra's murder called in giving her husband away to the FBI. Booth and the squad had surrounded the house and caught the man just as he tried to make a desperate escape. After hours of getting him to confess he finally did and was soon tried in court and sentenced to life in prison.

And after a few month's of the capture, one her fifth birthday, Megra was put to rest. Her small body was placed into a small coffin and buried into a plot not too far from her grandmothers. The loved ones of the small child cried, but her mother felt somewhat relieved, her daughter no longer had to sit in the lab, waiting to be examined once more, but now she rest safely in her grave.

Later that night as Tempe slept in the arms of her husband the sound of laughter filled her head once more. Opening her eyes she looked over to the door to see her daughter wrapped in a blanket, happiness in her eyes. Though the logical part of her knew it was a dream, she gladly let it play on as Meg ran over to the bed and for the last time Tempe massaged her daughters head until she fell asleep.

"I love you mommy." The soft declaration filled the silence of her mind.

"I love you too, angel." She whispered back.

Knowing in the morning none of it would exist and her life would be empty as before. Booth and her would find a way to get beyond the death and would still stay married, they loved each other and nothing could change that, but for now she allowed her imagination one last chance at happiness with her child.

That very same night Angela looked over the grave of her god daughter and read the inscription. "Megra Booth. May 3, 2009- October 2013. Loving Daughter, God daughter and friend. May her soul rest with Angels." Smiling to herself she knew deep down the child was in a much better place and could never be hurt again. As she tuned to leave the laughter of her god daughter played over in her mind, as it would for the rest of her life.

**Well? Ok I know it was sad, but I've been meaning to write something sad, I'm not really sure. Please tell me if it was ok, or not. Thank you all for reading this please just review and tell me what you thought. Love you all. **


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